Need to restore original OS

[Roger268]

Hi

Charity that I provide tech support to has just aquired an HP EliteOne800 G4 AIO, only 6 months old but has Win10 home installed, need to reinstall Win10Pro and all original software. Warranty still valid for 2+years. Seems a lovely PC.

How best to go about this?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

The PC should be supported by the HP cloud recovery client utility.

Bear in mind, that you may still get W10 home after you use the above utility as that model series could come with:

Microsoft Windows® 10 Pro

Microsoft Windows® 10 Pro (National Academic License)
Microsoft Windows® 10 Home

Microsoft Windows® 10 Home Single Language

FreeDos 2.0

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/getpdf.aspx/c06028296.pdf

Here is the link to the cloud recovery client utility...

https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp85001-85500/sp85318.exe

I have attached the instructions below for how to use the utility.

What I suggest you do, since W10 is on there now would be to run the free utility that I zipped up and attached below that will show you what version of W10 the product key in the BIOS is good for.

I you find that it is for W10 Home, then you will have to pay to upgrade to W10 Pro.

See the link below for how to upgrade from Home to Pro...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12384/windows-10-upgrading-home-to-pro

[Roger268]

Thanks, I've made some progress, ShowKeyplus reveals an original Win 10Pro installation and key, and a current Win 10 home installation and key. Can't manage yet to put the new PC near another one with Win7 or 10 Pro to access the cloud, very hopeful start though.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Since the PC has a W10 Pro product key in the BIOS, the cloud recovery software will install W10 Pro.

You can download the cloud recovery client tool on the PC you're working on now.

[Roger268]

Thanks again; I've now succeeded in restoring the PC to its original set up and up dated all the software. Had a real struggle to get it to install Pro, it kept on updating Home. In the end I selected "Install from Network" and much to my surprise it worked. Then had to install all the drivers as well, which was in itself a struggle as the network drivers weren't yet installed. Got there eventually, and thanks for your help.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime.

Glad to have been of assistance.

[Roger268]

Unfortunately I'm not quite there yet! The version of WIn 10 Pro shows as build 1709 and that won't update to the Nov 2019 version 1909. How do I solve that one please?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Upgrade to an older version of W10.

See if it will update to v1903.

You will need to make a DVD so you can run the installation media from the Windows desktop.

Here is the link to the W10 v1903 64 bit English ISO file.  The link will be good for 24 hours.

https://software-download.microsoft.com/sg/Win10_1903_V1_English_x64.iso?t=3207c360-a282-4f32-98f4-1...

After you download the ISO file, use the Microsoft tool that I zipped up and attached below to transfer the ISO file to a DVD.

Put the DVD in the drive and let it autorun from the Windows desktop.

I forgot what happens next.  It should ask if you want to upgrade and if so, select yes.

SKIP the check for updates, or it will be stuck there for eons.

Hopefully, the PC will update from 1709 to 1903, and then Windows Update should update it to 1909 for you once all the other security and cumulative updates to 1903 have installed.

[Roger268]

It won't accept an update to any recent build. and I get the message "couldn't update the system reserved partition". These cuurent show as 99Mb and 16Mb

Could these have been changed when Win 10 home was installed along the way?

I'm nervous about editing registry entries.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Unfortunately, I wouldn't know what to do about that.

I do know what I would be doing though and that would be to forget about the factory image and clean install W10 Pro 64 bit by making an 8 GB USB installation flash drive using the media creation tool at the link below.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Since you know the PC has a W10 Pro product key in the BIOS, select W10 Pro from the list of versions to install.

When you are asked 'Where do you want to install Windows, delete every partition on the hard drive leaving just one partition of unallocated space, click next and W10 will install.

After W10 installs, you can install the drivers and available software from the PC's support page and it will be at the latest version of 1909.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-eliteone-800-g4-23.8-inch-touch-all-in-one-pc/21...